Old Town Is No. 1 Among Downtowns in America: Survey

Image: Old Town at Christmas (Wikipedia Commons).

Alexandria has the best downtown in the entire country. That's the verdict of Livability.com, which examined more than 2,000 small to mid-sized cities around the U.S., drawing on data from the Census Bureau and other sources.

The city's Old Town section has made it to the top of the website's latest Top 10 Best Downtowns list, a collection of communities that exemplify "the best trends in redevelopment," says Livability.com. These trends include the growth of housing options in retail-dominated urban areas around the country, which has helped neighborhood restaurants and shops to survive against suburban shopping malls.

Downtowns that made the Top 10 list received high ratings for their culture and nightlife, diversity and walkability, among other factors.

Livability.com praises Alexandria for its historic sites, "picture perfect views" and vibrant restaurants, which are "worth flying across the country to try, and draw thousands of food connoisseurs from the Washington D.C. area."

Old Town "swells with tourists, shoppers and art-lovers by day, while filling up with beer and music lovers" at night, the website says. The city edged out Santa Monica, Calif., which came in second on the list, and Greenville, S.C., which came in third.

To check out the Top 10 list, click here.